FG asks Vice Chancellors to stop paying lecturers who are on strike

Four weeks after lecturers declared a nationwide strike,, the Federal Government has directed vice-chancellors to enforce “no-work-no-pay” rule on the striking lecturers.

According to Premium Times, the directive to implement the “no work, no pay” policy was sent to the universities in a memo sent by the Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC) to university vice-chancellors.

The memo reads, “In view of the current Industrial action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the federal government has directed that there shall be no payment of any form of salaries and allowances to the staff on strike in federal and inter-varsity centers.

“Consequently, I am to direct Vice-Chancellors to apply the “No-work-no-pay” rule. However, Universities and inter-varsity centers are to pay salaries and allowances to Non-teaching staff.

“All Vice Chancellors and Directors of centers should note that the salaries to staff on strike from whatever source of funds shall be viewed as a violation of extant rules and directive of the federal government of Nigeria.”

On Sunday, November 4, 2018, the Academic Staff Union declared an indefinite, nationwide strike over non-implementation of previous agreements by the federal government.

And since the strike started, the government and the lecturers had had two meetings to resolve the issues and call of the strike. But both meetings ended without any resolution.